paradox_modfanmadebackupfandomcom-20200215-history
Airfield
Regardless of the faction, there are buildings that produce aircraft. These are commonly called Airfields. Allies Airbase When the Hawker Jumpjet first hit the field in 1954, it was revolutionary in a number of aspects. For one, it revolutionised air to air combat by being the first aircraft to employ guided missiles, and it was also revolutionary for being the first aircraft to be capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The Hawker, as the world's first truly VTOL aircraft, boasted unmatched manoeuvrability and the previously unheard of capability to land on any patch of suitably flat ground, without the need for an airfield. Though they still needed to be resupplied, this in effect meant that they could be scattered and hidden, which would allow air operations to continue to operate even in the event that all of the Allies' airfields were destroyed. Indeed, both of these revolutionary features have since become commonplace; guided missiles are now a staple of many aircraft, as is VTOL capability. Many modern aircraft, from the nimble Apollo fighters to the massive Century bombers, are designed with VTOL capabilities in mind. However, it should be noted that there are a number of differences between the Hawker and modern VTOL aircraft. For one, modern VTOL aircraft are noticeably faster. In order to achieve VTOL capability, the Hawker's engine had sacrified speed; as such, Hawkers could at best manage subsonic speeds, compared to Mach 2 capable fighters such as the Soviet MiG-9. Newer VTOL fighters (such as the Apollo), on the other hand, are capable of achieving speeds in excess of Mach 1. However, unlike the Hawker, these aircraft lack its unique manoeuvrability, and most also forgo the Hawker's all terrain landing gear, which forces them to operate out of an airfield. Though they can still land on rough ground in an emergency, doing so would be likely to heavily damage the aircraft, possibly irreparably. While some have argued the loss of the ability to disperse air assets in the event of Soviet strategic strikes on airfields is a serious vulnerability, Allied Command brushed these concerns aside at the time by pointing out that these VTOL aircraft could still operate from prefabricated field Airbases, which could be constructed in a minimum of time, and would make resupply much easier than if aircraft were to be dispersed individually. Allied Command was mostly proven right when the Third World War broke out. While Allied air assets in Germany and elsewhere were crippled by Soviet strikes on permanent airfields and airbases, aircraft were still able to continue operations from these prefabricated airbases. Most VTOL aircraft could be easily supported, though each airbase was limited to four aircraft at a time. Even now that the war is over and most of the Allies' permanent airfields have since had the damage to them repaired, forward airbases continue to be used; though aircraft must carry reduced fuel and ordnance loads when operating out of them, the promixity of such structures to the frontlines greatly reduces turnaround times for aircraft. Strategic Air Command Century Bombers are machines as deadly as they are majestic, but when it comes to logistics they are mostly just large. Unlike their predecessor, the Skyfortress, the Century cannot simply take off from a grassy field in a pinch. Normally, these massive planes are housed, maintained, and launched from the same strategic airfields that serve Galaxy transport planes, taking advantage of thousands of feet of runway to make liftoff with tens of thousands of kilograms of ordnance aboard. However, these are not always flexible enough for the ever-changing battlelines of modern warfare, so these prefabricated structures were devised to take advantage of the Century's vertical take-off abilities. Though they have to carry smaller bomb and fuel loads for these facilities, the massive cut-down in mission turnaround time allows the Century to run missions against high-value enemy installations on a nearly constant basis, and it provides a safe haven for damaged machines much closer than the average airfield. Confederate Airpad The nature of Confederate air operations, as with so much of the rest of that group's operations, is highly decentralised. The Confederates' aircraft are all capable of vertical take-off and landing, and in particular aircraft such as the Hawker or helicopters like the Longbow may land on any solid terrain, so long as it is not too rough. This allows for aircraft squadrons to be dispersed widely, and eliminates the need for vulnerable airfield infrastructure. In spite of the Allies' best efforts, hundreds of aircraft still remain in Confederate possession, hidden all across America. However, though the Confederates can hide their airplanes almost anywhere, when it comes to battle they still need to be resupplied, and this necessitates some sort of infrastructure. Most of the time, the task of supplying and supporting Confederate aircraft thus comes to prefabricated Airpads that can be quickly constructed and torn down. Though these airpads are primitive, consisting of little more than a landing pad capable of supporting a single aircraft, nevertheless they make resupply of all Confederate aircraft possible, from the manoeuvrable Hawkers to the enormous Skyfortresses. Given their simple construction, they can be constructed almost anywhere and in a very short time, though a Radar Dome must be first established so that aircraft can arrive in the combat area safely. Soviet Airfield The Airfield follows the proud traditions of the Soviet Union's air force from World War II. Under Stalin's directive, the Soviet Air Force was almost successful in teaching Europe the advantages of communism. Showing a statue of one of his commisars to remind everyone about the greatness of the Soviet cause, the Airfield Engineers are evermore inspired in dutifully assembling all the airplanes and choppers needed to bring communism one step further to victory, and to get some more vodka after work hours. The Airfield has enough pads to service up to 4 fixed-wing aircraft, from the MiG Fighter to the aging YaK Dive Bombers. Also, helicopters such as the Twinblade and airships like the famous Kirov Airship are produced to serve the Motherland. Additionally, if an airfield is built near a Crusher Crane, its repair drones can repair any damaged aircraft and make them able to fight once more for the Motherland. Just the Stats Empire of the Rising Sun Incredible Mobile Fortress Tatsu See also: Tatsu (person) The last design created by, and named in honour of, the late Emperor Tatsu, the Incredible Mobile Fortress Tatsu is massive mobile behemoth that dwarfs anything ever seen before short of the Floating Fortresses. Capable of constructing and carrying a wing of 6 aircraft, and moving slowly on land and water, the Incredible Mobile Fortress repairs and rearms nearby units, can transport a large number of ground units, and is armed with multiple point-defence kinetic-burst guns and missile pods for anti-infantry and anti-air defence respectively. It is very, very well armoured, but very, very expensive. Support Airbase Built in order to support the expanded aerial operations of the ERSDF, the Support Airbase is able to hold three fixed wing aircraft in a combat zone. Chinese Celestial Depot The Celestial Depot can maintain up to 3 aircraft constructed by the Space Elevator, and can order them to teleport back to base. Syndicate Aerodome See the world from the perspective of a hawk, not an ant: Category:Buildings